Display apparatus



June 6, 1933 H. B ATwATER 1,913,150

DISPLAY APPARATUS I Filed Sept. 30, 1952 Patented June 6, 1933 HORACE B. ATWATER, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA DISPLAY APPARATUS Application filed September 30, 1932. Serial No. 635,480.

My present invention relates to an extremely simple, relatively inexpensive, and hlghly efiicient display apparatus. An important object of the invention is the provision of a i novel connection between a motor and a display device to be rotated thereby that will twist under torque strain required to overcome the starting inertia of the display devlce and consequently apply initial driving force gradually to the display device, thereby 1ninimizing the starting load of the motor and rendering a relatively small motor, having little more than enough power to keep the display device in motion after once started,

'15 capable of starting the display device into action. The above and other important objects and important features of the invention will be made apparent from the specification and claims.

Generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices, combinations of devices and arran ement of parts hereinafter described an defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing: 7

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of the complete display apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 22 of Fig. 1, some parts being shown in diagram;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary v1ew taken in the vicinity of the line 33 of Fig. 2, some parts being shown in section and some parts being shown in full; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing the motor-driven clock mechanism and certain other associated parts of the apparatus.

The shell-like casing of the apparatus, indicated as an entirety by 5, includes a mounting base 6 and a face plate 7. The face plate 7 is provided near its upper portion with a relatively large clock face 8 and below the clock face 8 with a large openin 9. Mounted within the upper portion 0 the shell 5 and directly back of the clock face 8 is a synchronous type electric motor-driven clock mechanism 10. The clock mechanism 10 is of a conventional well-known type and is, therefore, not shown in detail. The motor proper of the clock mechanism includes an electromagnetic coil 11 wound upon asuitable soft iron core 12 secured at its projected oppositeends to opposed pole plates 13 by suitable nut-equipped bolts 14. The opposed freeend portions of the pole plates 13 are notched to afford spaced pole terminals 15. WVorking between the opposed pole terminals 15 is a notched iron rotor or armature 16 that is suitably journaled in a bearing bracket 17. The rotor 16 is arranged to drive the customary clock hands 18 and 19 and a vertically ournaled pinion 20 through intermediate transmission mechanism 10 Thepinion 20 is mounted fast on a spindle 21 and is journaled' in a bearing sleeve 22 and provided with a head 23 which works against the end a of the bearing sleeve 22 and holds the spindle 21 against axial displacement. The pinion 20 meshes with a gear 24 of the transmission mechanism 10. The bearing sleeve 22 is secured in a notched-out portion 25 in a front a frame plate 26 of the motor mechanism. The entire clock mechanism is carried by a frame made up of the front plate 26, the motors pole plates 13, and spacing and securing devices 27 which secure the pole plates 13 in parallel spaced relation to the front 90 plate 26. The motor frame is secured to the back of the face plate 7 by suitable mounting feet 28 and bolts, rivets or the like, not shown. T he electromagnetic winding 11 of the motor is provided with leads 29 which may be as sumed to leadto a suitable source of altermating current, not shown.

Driven from the motor-driven clock mechanism through novel connections including the spindle 21, a wire loop 30, a flexible cable 31, and a relatively rigid eye-equipped stem 32 is a display device 33, which may be of any desired character but in the example illustrated, is in the nature of a coffee can carrying advertising on the peripheral portion thereof. The display device 33 is suspended from the spindle 21 through the connections recited and is held against wobbling movements by a guide lug 34 projecting inwardly from the face plate 7 and loosely surrounding the relatively rigid link 32. The relatively rigid link 32 may be secured to the display device in any desired manner but will preferably project axially therefrom. The display device is disposed in alignment with and projects partially through the sight opening 9 in the face plate so as to render a large portion thereof visible. Preferably, and in the particular arrangement illustrated, the flexible cable 31 is in the nature of a relatively light twine.

When the apparatus is inoperative, the cable 31 will, of course, normally be in a normal untwist d condition, but when the motordriven mechanism is started into action, the cable 31, being of a very flexible nature, will not have sufficient resistance to torque strain to immediately overcome the inertia of the display device 33 and will therefore twist and apply dr ing foce gradually to the display device, thereby permitting the motordriven mechanism to run ahead of the display device and reduce the starting load on the motor-driven mechanism to a minimum. Under twisting action, the resistance of the cable 31 to torque strain will, of course,

gradually increase, thereby proportionately increasing the driving force applied to the display device. The speed of the display device will be gradually increased and eventually will be equal to that of the spindle 21, after which time the load presented by the display device on the motor-driven mechanism will be relatively light. Under twisting action, the cable 2-31 will build up more than sufticient torque strain than is required to keep the display device in motion, or in other words, will build up a surplus power and this surplus stored up power will cause the display device to run at a somewhat high er speed than the spindle 21 after having brought it to that speed, but this surplus power will soon be spent and thereafter the display device will be maintained at an even speed with the spindle 21.

From the foregoing, it will be evident that the flexible connection due to the fact that it applied driving force gradually and over a period of time to the display device, will permit the use of a small motor having very little more than sufficient power to maintain the display device in motion and render the same capable of starting the display device into action. The flexible connection while highly important in connection with any relatively low power motor mechanism, is particularly advantageous when used in connection with synchronous electric motors, for such motors essentially operate at only one speed and a load sulficient to cause a reduc tion of that speed will cause stopping of the motor.

(lo-operating with the guide flange 34 to hold the display device 33 against wobbling motion, is a centering pin 34. This pin 34 projects through a mounting bracket 35 provided therefor and projects from thence axially through the bottom of the display device, which works freely thereover. The guide pin 34: is held against accidental displacement by means of a spring latch 36, the free end of which yields to permit passing of the head 37 of the pin 34: thereby and normally underlies a corner portion of the head 37. Access to the pin 34: is gained through an opening 38 in the base 6. The guide flange 34 and the pin 34 are particularly important when, as in the present illustration, the display device works in the opening 9 with very little clearance and would, if not positively guided for true rotary motion, be caused. to wobble about by movements of air and would hit against the surrounding portions of the face plate 7 Obviously, due to the small clearance between the display device and the upper and lower edges of the opening 9, the pin 84* must be removed to effect removal of the display device from operative position. This is accomplished by first moving the free end of the latch 36 out of engagement with the head 37 of the pin.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a vertically journaled member and means for rotating said member, of a display device suspended from and rotated by said journaled member by a flexible connection that will twist under torque strain.

2. The combination with a relatively low power motor having a vertically journaled member driven therefrom, of a display device suspended from and rotated by said inotor-driven journaled member including a flexible connection that will twist under torque strain and apply initial driving force gradually to the display device.

3. The combination with an electric motordriven clock having a vertically journaled member driven from the electric clock mechanism, of a display device suspended and driven from said journaled member through a connection including the flexible portion that will twist under torque strain and apply driving force gradually to the display device.

4. The combination with a relatively low power synchronous type electric motor having a vertically ournaled member driven therefrom, of a display device suspended an d rotated from said journaled member through a resilient connection that will twist under torque strain and apply driving power gradually to said display device while overcomin the inertia thereof.

2). The combination wtih a display device, of means for rotating the display device including a synchronous electric motor-driven clock mechanism having a vertically journaled member driven from the clock mechanism, a connection from said journaled member to said display device for supporting and rotating the display device including a flexible portion that will twist under torque strain.

6. The structure defined in claim 1 in further combination with a guide surrounding the lower portion of the connection between the journaled member and display device for holding the display device against swinging movements.

7. A display apparatus including a vertically disposed face plate having a clock dial thereon and an aperture therein below the clock dial, an electric motor-driven clock mechanism mounted back of the dialequipped portion of the face plate and hav ing a depending journaled member driven from the clock mechanism, a display device suspended from the journaled member for driving movements therefrom by a connection including a flexible portion that Will twist under torque strain, .said display device being located in alignment With the aperture in the face plate and projecting partially therethrough.

8. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said flexible connection is in the form of a fabric cord.

9. A display apparatus including a vertically disposed face plate having an aperture therein, a vertically journaled member above said aperture, means for driving the said vertically journaled member, a display device suspended from the journaled mem her for driving movements therefrom by a flexible connection, said display device working partially through the aperture in the face plate, a centering pin projecting axially upwardly into the display device and being removably held in position by a fixed mounting device, said pin being removable axially from the mounting device, and yielding means normally extending under a bottom portion of the centering pin to hold the pin against accidental displacement, said pin projecting into the display device a distance greater than the vertical clearance between the display device and surrounding portions of the face plate.

10. The structure defined in claim 9 in further combination With a guide device surrounding the lower end portion of the flexible connection.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HORACE B. ATWATER. 

